Extensible support.



C. E.v E. SMITH.

EXTENSIBLE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION'HLED Nov.\3.191s.

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Patented F910. 4, 1919.

C. E. E. SMITH.

EXTENSIBLE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.13.1916.

1,293,222, l Patented .'Feb. 4, 1919.

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UNITED sfrmrns PATENT ormoni.

CHARLES EDWARD EASTERBROOK-SMITH, OF AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND.

EXTENSIBLE SUPPORT.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 13, 1916. Serial N o. 131,183.

Y To all whom z't may concern:

. Be it known that I, CHARLES EDWARD EAs'rERRooK SMITH, a citizen of the Dominion of New Zealand, and residing at Monte le Grande Road, Auckland, in the Provincial District of Auckland, in the Dominion vof New Zealand, contractor and builder, have invented certain new and useful Improved Extensible Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides a support or prop which may be used for numerous purposes.

AIn its simplest form the invention comprises members slidable upon one another and has side members fastenedtogether with a' space between them wherein a central member is slidable. A crosshead fixed to the'central member extends through slots formed inthe side members, and a handle for operating the central member is attached to the crosshead. A catch or catches is or are provided so that when 'the central member 1s pushed upward, the crosshead raises acatch which falls after the crosshead has passed and prevents the central member from descending until desired.

Additional cross members supported by struts are provided for extending the uses to which ythe support may be put, as forexample, for supporting the branches of fruit trees, for supporting attent, for carrying a blackboard or easel, for supporting the deckingof a bridge, and for like uses.

he drawing herewith villustrates the invention and will now be referred to for the purposes of a detailed description.

Figure 1, is a front elevation,

Fig. 2, a side elevation, and

Fig. 3, a sectional elevation of the support 1n its simplest form,

Fig. 4, is a front elevation, and

Fig; 5 a side elevation of the support with a 'double lift crosshead,

Fig. 6,' is a perspective view of the support -as used to sustain an overhead rope or the like,

Fig. 7, Vis a side elevation of a detail on alarger scale, v Y.

.Fig 8, is a perspective view of thereupport as used for supporting branches of trees or decking of a bridge, or for carrying a blackboard or an easel or the like,

Fig. 9, is a perspective view of the support as used in a cradle form for sustaining a plurality of branches of a tree,

Fig. l0, is a front elevation, and

Fig. 11, a side elevation of the support provided with gearing for raising and lowering the central member.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1., 2, and 3, the side members 1 and 2 are connected together by errules or straps 3, and are spaced apart by a packing piece 4 forl the purpose of admitting a central member 5, which is slidable longitudinally between the members l and 2 and in the v'errule or strap 3 at the top of the said members.

A crosshead 6, consisting of a flat plate, passes through the central member 5 and extends through slots 7 made in the side members 1 and 2. A handle is attached to the crosshead 6 and consists of a shackle 8 fitted with a hand piece 9.

A catch 10, consisting of a fiat plate, is pivoted by a pin 11 to the side member 2 and is adapted to fall by gravity and rest upon a pin 12 upon the other side of the slot andfprojecting from the said member. A stop pin 13 prevents the catch from being turned so far over that it will not Jfall down by gravity as described. The drawing shows a single catch, but there may be a plurality of superposed catches for sustaining the crosshead at any desired height.

The top of the member 5 is fitted with spring arms 14 adapted to receive and retain a rope, clothes line or the like, or a gap 15 may be used instead of, or with, the said spring arm.

In use the rope, clothes line or the like is passed between the spring arms and into the gap 15, when the member 5 is in its lowered position as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; and the member 5 is then raised by means of the handle, until the crosshead 6 passes beyond the catch 10 which then falls down by gravity and forms a barrier across the slot-7 whereon the crosshead may rest and prevent the descent of the said central inember until the catch is again raised by hand.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a construction closely resembling the construction shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3. The crosshead 18, however, is made of bar iron or strong wire and in the form of a loop, having horizontal niembers 19 and 20 either of which may be engaged by the catch 10. This construction thus provides a double lift crosshead.

The catch 10 is provided with a tailpiece 21 for the pur ose of facilitating the manipulation of t e said catch.

The central member 5 is provided at the top with a deep gap 22 upon one side of which a flat spring 23 is pivoted on a pin 24. A pin 25 projecting from the member 5 is adapted to prevent the spring from being raised. When the rope or line 26 is to be removed from the gap 22, the spring 23 is sprung over the pin 25 and turned upward on its pivot pin 2A.

The form of the support shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 is adapted for use in sustaining in an elevated position a rope, a clothes line or the like, or to be used as a tent pole for a bell tent or wherever a. single pole is required as a support.

. Referring to Fig. 6, the support is adapted for use as a post for sustaining a rope 28. Two such supports are used together and the rope 28 is stretched between them, the strain being taken by guy ropes 29 fixed at one end to the tops of the members 1 and 2 and at their other ends to pegs 30 driven into the ground. The ends of the rope are formed into loops which are passed through shackles 31, pivoted to the member 5and engaged by hooks 32 fixed to the members 5 at a higher level than the shackles. Kinks are thus made in the rope, which then has no tendency to leave the hooks 32, when the rope is swayed by the wind or otherwise.

Fig. 8 shows a crossbar 33 attached centrally to the top of the member 5, and further supported by struts 34 resting on the crossbar 18.

The ridge of a rectangular tent, tbe branches of a tree, the decking of a bridge or the like may be supported on the crossbar 33. Another crossbar 36 .or other similar crossbars may be fixed to the struts 34, so that upper branches may be supported on the crossbar 33, and lower branches on the crossbar 36. The crossbars 33 4and 36 may be parallel to each other, or divergent as shown in the drawing.

The base 37 may be employed and may have a rearward extension 38`tted with a rack 39. v A back strut t0 .pivoted by a pin 41 to the member 5 isadapted to be engaged at its bottom end `by the rack `39. The kside members 1 and 2 are connected to the base 37 by a hinge 37". A blackboard or framed canvas or the like may rest upon the crossbar 36 and against the crossbar 33, while the angle of the blackboard or canvas may be altered as desired by adjusting the strut 40 in the rack 39. The raising and lowering of the blackboard or the like 1s readily effected by raising or lowering the central member 5.

Fig. 9 shows two supports with crossbars 33 and 36 and longitudinal bars 38 resting on the said crossbars. A cradle is thus formed for supporting up er and lower branches on all four sides o a tree.

Figs. v10 and ,11 shew means for raising and lowering the central member 5 when the support is massive in con. `T'be handle is replaced by a rack 41 and a pinion 42 gearing therewith. The pinion is driven by a sprocket wheel 43 fixed to theshaft 44 of the pinion 42, and by asproeket chain 45 and a sprocket wheel 46, upon the shaft 47 to which is fixed a crank handle 4,8. The member 5 is raised and lowered by operating the handle 48.

What I do claim and desire tosecnre by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A support for the purpose described, comprising a central member slidable between side members, a cvcssheed attacked to the central member and extending through slots in the side members, a handle attached to the crosshead, catches for supporting the crosshead, a pirated flat sprn extending across a slot malle in the top o the central member, and a pin projecting from the said central member adapted to a' i the spring, substantially as set forth.

2. A pair of supports for the purpose de scribed, each support comprising a central member slidable between side members, s crosshead attached to the central. and extending through slots in the side members, a handle attached to the crosshead, catches adapted to form rests for the crosshead. a base whereon theY support rests, a crossbar at the tcp of the central member, struts supporting the crossbar from the crosshead, a crossbar xed to the struts, and Longitudinal bars resting `on the crossbars, substantially as set orth.

3. A support for the purpose described, comprising a central member slidable between side members, a double lift crosshead attached to the central and extending through slots in the side members, a handle attached to the cmesbead, catches adapted to engage the upper or lower part of the crosshead, the crosshead being of auch structure that time catch engages at one peint outside of the periphery of the crosshead and at the other point within the periphery of the crosshead, substantially as described.

4. A support for the purpose described. comprimng a central member slfdablebetween side members, a double lift crosshead In testimony whereof I have signed my formed of a single piece of bent wire atname to this specification in the presence of taohed to the central member and extending two witnesses.

through slots in the side members', a handle CHARLES EDWARD EASTERBROOK SMITH. 5 'attached to the erosshead, catches adapted to Witnesses;

engage the upper or lower part of the eross- E. S. BALDWIN,

head, substantially as described. JAMES ANDERSON HARDIE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 'of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

